Valentines Day Love Bugs

This Valentine’s Day surprise that special someone in your life, your family and/or friends with these Valentines Day Love Bugs. They put some fun into Valentines Day with their whimsical appearance. They are a delicious sweet treat as well!

Ingredients
1 box of strawberry cake mix
1 container of white frosting (not cream cheese)
1 bag of shredded coconut
1  tube red food coloring gel
1 tube pink food coloring gel
1 container of small candy eyes
1 package white chocolate
1 package of milk chocolate
1 container of small red and pink hearts
Ziploc bags
Parchment paper
Cookie sheets
Pastry bags
Small pastry tips
Pencil or marker

Directions for Love Bugs

Bake the strawberry cake according to the directions on the box.
Allow the baked cake to cool completely.
Remove the cooled cake from the cake pan and put into a large bowl.
Crumble up the cake.
Add ½ of the container of the frosting.
Blend the frosting with the crumbled cake by working the two together with your fingers.
Try making a ball out of some of the cake/frosting mixture.
Add more frosting if the cake is not forming a ball shape.
Make small cake balls.
Place the cake balls into the freezer for about 15 minutes.
While your cake balls are in the freezer begin to prep the coconut.
Place your coconut in a ziplock bag.
Pour the pink coloring into the bag of coconut.
Seal the bag.
Use your hands to work the color throughout the coconut by rolling the bag back and forth.
When the color is even on all of the coconut, place it into a bowl.

Adding the Chocolate to the Valentines Day Love Bugs

Place the white chocolate into a bowl and place in the microwave to melt the chocolate.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Using two forks dip the cake balls into the melted candy.
Ensure that all of the cake balls is covered with the melted white chocolate.
Dip each white chocolate coated cake ball into one of the bowls of colored coconut.

Roll to ensure all of the cake balls are evenly coated.

Set the coated cake balls onto the parchment lined cookie sheets.
Use a drop of melted white chocolate to “glue” the candy eyes onto the cake ball.

Decorating with Milk Chocolate

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Using a pencil or marker draw feet for your love bugs. I like hearts as feet or you can be creative.
Set to the side.

Put the milk chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl.
Place the bowl in the microwave to melt.
Once the chocolate has melted, spoon it into your pastry bag.
Twist the top to secure the chocolate in the bag.
Trace your outline of your feet with the chocolate.
Now fill the feet with your chocolate so it is a solid form.

Antennas

Take your white or regular chocolate and pipe thick lines on wax paper.
You can have fun while you make your antennas straight or curvy.
Now add your heart candy on the end.

Remove your chocolate feet and place on another cookie sheet.
Take one set of feet and then add a drop of melted chocolate on the middle of the feet and place a cake ball right on top.
Now take a knife and create to slits on top of the cake ball for the antennas.
Carefully insert your antennas into the cake ball.
Repeat the process with all love bugs.
Let your love bugs sit for 1 hour before serving.